'Impossible expectations are impossible': Drew Barrymore

As if we needed another reason to adore Drew Barrymore, the new mum recently told a tabloid magazine that she had no intention of ‘wasting’ time working on losing the weight she gained in pregnancy, and that the pressure on women to rush back to their pre-baby weight is unrealistic.

"My new motto is: Impossible expectations are impossible," she told People magazine.

"Look, with my luck, I will starve myself, work out and then the next day get hit by a bus. And think, 'Why did I waste my time doing that?' I'm the last person anyone should look at for workout tips. I don't have them. I don't care."

Another mum who seems to focus on her baby rather than her body is Reese Witherspoon.

Two months after having son Tennessee she told Extra that rather than bouncing back, she’s "slowly crawling back”.

“You know all of your joints feel wobbly and your head is sort of confused … You just have to be gentle and patient with yourself and just sort of … slowly get back to your health.”

Another realistic star is Jenna Fischer, from The Office. The mum of 14-month-old Weston Lee, she told People, "It’s so funny because I think there’s the perception that every [famous] woman has a driver and a chef and a personal trainer and a nanny. I didn’t start exercising until Weston was six months old and was taking regular naps.

"When I go back to work on the show, I’m probably just going to have to take a break from any of that working out. I think just getting through the day will be enough.”

For women who don’t emerge from the birth suite looking like a Victoria’s Secret model, the backlash can be caustic. Bryce Dallas Howard was mocked by TMZ for being overweight, five months after her daughter was born.

Just months earlier, stunning Indian actress Aishwarya Rai had become the victim of YouTube taunts after some creep made a video of before-and-after shots of the star set to elephant noises. Public comments on the video included such gems as "She is a Bollywood actress and it is her duty to look good and fit" and "She needs to learn from people like Victoria Beckham who are back to size zero weeks after their delivery."

With that kind of feedback, it’s little wonder that Kate Hudson, known for her svelte figure, “devoted six hours a day to a vigorous workout regime" after the birth of son Bingham earlier this year. She told Star magazine, “I would do 45 or 55 minutes of cardio then an hour of Pilates or yoga, three times a day.”

You have to admire Kate’s honesty, as losing a large amount of weight in a short time frame doesn’t just come down to breastfeeding and the occasional walk around the block.